The Massacre of Jallianwalla Bagh
100 Years Later
History will forever remember the massacre of Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab. The date 13 April 1919, has been blemished forever. That was the day when General Reginald Dyer opened fire upon a peaceful demonstration, killing thousands of innocent people. This act created worldwide controversy that burns from then until this day.
Thousands of innocent civilians were trapped within the grounds of the Jallianwala Bagh, just a stone’s throw away from the holy Golden Temple. They had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide as bullets were fired upon them. What began as a peaceful protest, ended in bloody horror and trauma where innocents were killed, loved ones lost and entire families wiped out in minutes. Now, a 100 years later, The Loomba Foundation has set up the Jallianwala Bagh Centenary Commemoration Committee (JBCCC). This committee was set up to commemorate and raise awareness of this tragic event.
A channel 4 documentary presented by Sathnam Sanghera, had a detailed examination of the events that took place when he travelled through Amritsar. On Wednesday 10th April, The Mirror posted an article online titled ‘Jeremy Corbyn says Theresa May should make a full apology for the Amritsar Massacre.’ The article then states that Theresa May ‘deeply regrets’ what happened. However she did not issue an apology for the incident. The foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, is currently reflecting on this situation. The JBCCC along with The Loomba Foundation are hopeful of a formal apology from the British Government. This is paramount so the descendants and family members can have closure on this awful episode, on its centenary.
The Loomba Foundation organised a dinner on Saturday 13th April led by Lord Loomba. The date was chosen to mark the centenary of the attack. More than 100 guests came together to commemorate the innocent lives that were taken. They also paid tribute to the families and descendants who tragically lost their loved ones.
The evening was filled with moving speeches, poetry and songs which were beautifully heart-felt. Author and Political Columnist, Saurav Dutt who attended the event tweeted ‘we also shed tears when we heard harrowing accounts of the massacre.’ The Loomba foundation stated that while the event commemorated this tragedy, it is time the British Government issued a formal apology.
Read more about The Loomba Foundation and Jallianwala Bagh here:
www.theloombafoundation.org/blogs/jallianwala-bagh-amritsar-massacre-apology
